Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding has been an annual fundraising affair in Phoenix for 17 years for the Solid Rock Foundation. The variety show is one of two major events to generate funds for the foundation. The other event is a golf tournament in the spring each year. The show will be at the Celebrity Theatre on Dec. 9.

The rock concert consists of some of the major acts in rock music. Each year, Cooper thumbs through his Rolodex filled with his friends that he has accumulated over the last 50 years. It is a surprise as to who is going to perform. Last year Cooper brought in his group, The Hollywood Vampires. This year, he has assembled Slash, Rob Halford and Ace Frehley to headline with him. The lineup is rounded out by Edgar Winter, Filter, Nita Strauss & Glen Sobel, Gary Mule Deer and the winners of the ‘Proof is in the Pudding’ contest. Cooper will be backed by the Nashville band, Sixwire.

AXS has selected five no-miss acts from the show to highlight:

1. The most obvious pick is Alice Cooper. Cooper has had an incredible year in 2017. He has been on tour nonstop in the United States and Europe. Cooper will be finishing his world tour in Paris on Dec. 7, flying on Dec. 8 and playing the Pudding the next day. He does a daily syndicated radio show. He released an album of new material, Paranormal, this summer. One thing that he is most proud is that he’s been nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Cooper is in stunning form and has never sounded better.

2. Slash is well known as the guitarist for the super group, Guns N’ Roses. He has also topped the billboard charts with his band, SLASH and their three albums. The most recent album is World On Fire. Slash is considered a guitar God and he is rated second only to Jimi Hendrix by Time magazine. His album sales are over 100 million.

3. Rob Halford has been the front man for the legendary heavy metal rock group Judas Priest since the early seventies. This year Judas Priest is nominated for the Rock Hall of Fame for the first time as a band. Halford is well known for his growl-like vocals and his flamboyant stage presence. This appearance promises to be heavy metal at its loudest and proudest.

4. Ace Frehley was the original legendary guitarist for KISS and he was influential in catapulting the group into super stardom. He garnered accolades for his explosive six-string guitar work. He split from KISS in the early eighties to pursue a solo career. He has released several very successful solo albums over the years and he has reunited with KISS at times. Frehley and his band gave a blood pumping set this year as they opened the Australian leg of Cooper’s tour.

5. Nita Strauss and Glen Sobel are two members of Alice Cooper’s band. Strauss is the most visually appealing member of Cooper’s band. This is only a bonus because she shreds ‘with the Gods’ and her showmanship is astounding while she plays. Strauss replaced Orianthi in 2014. Sobel has been the permanent drummer in Cooper’s band since 2011. It will be interesting to see the set these two band members conjure up.

This list is only a snippet of what the evening is going to offer. Edgar Winter and his legendary keyboards will be there. Will he play his monster hit “Frankenstein?” You have to buy a ticket to find out. This promises to be the best Christmas party of the season. For more information on the show and the Solid Rock Foundation, please click here.

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